How will DC's year go then?

[Knowlesy]

So 2004 is a make or break year for David Coulthard.

After a dreadful 2003 season in which he struggled to come to terms with the one lap qualifying system and an inspired Kimi Raikkonen and taking only two podiums after his win in Melbourne he faces a struggle to get a seat for 2005.

It's sink or swim for the man who looks like he's swallowed a Panasonic 32" widescreen.

So how will he go this year?

He seems to be gelling well with the new McLaren MP4-19 in testing and is putting in numerous valuable laps.

If he makes a good start then who knows what might happen?

But can he really be expected to beat Raikkonen to the second McLaren seat for 2005, a seat some may say is a foregone conclusion anyhow. And with the qualifying emphasis still laying on a final one lap shootout, can you see him getting his head round it?

I think he will turn in one of his better years in 2004, i really do, but I'm not sure whether that will be enough to capture a good seat for 2005.....

What will DC do in your opinion?

[enemy-ace]

He's a good driver and deserves to be in F1. However he has had a lot of kicks at the can and has nothing to show for it. I think he will do well and probably end up at a team that is working it's way up the grid. Say Toyota or Jaguar. He would be a valuable asset to one of these teams.

[Wethat]

he will fail..

[GP Racer]

He's going to do very well, and while I'm not sure he can beat Kimi, he'll do well enough to grab Panis's seat at Toyota.(?)

He knows its do-or-die this year so he'll be on it hard. Maybe this is the pressure he needs to really shine.

Just got to figure out the one lap qualifying!

[Kicking-back]

He could well win the World Championship.

But I think Kimi has already signed for 2005 at McLaren.

[gttouring]

don't you all know this IS his year.
he'll clinch it in 8 races winning everyone, and never finishing off the podium.

hah ahahhahahhaha
oh boy get me stitches, my side- oooh

[ASCII Man]

Please, don't make me laugh!
I have a broken rib...


Anyway, i voted for the next-to-last option, but hope he has to find a seat somewhere in the DTM or IRL or something, some place where he can win a title for sure.

[f1manoz]

He'll once again fail miserably and will be forced to move on in 2005. Not that I'll care...

[pirenzo]

Originally posted by knowlesy
So 2004 is a make or break year for David Coulthard.

After a dreadful 2003 season in which he struggled to come to terms with the one lap qualifying system and an inspired Kimi Raikkonen and taking only two podiums after his win in Melbourne he faces a struggle to get a seat for 2005.

It's sink or swim for the man who looks like he's swallowed a Panasonic 32" widescreen.

So how will he go this year?

He seems to be gelling well with the new McLaren MP4-19 in testing and is putting in numerous valuable laps.

If he makes a good start then who knows what might happen?

But can he really be expected to beat Raikkonen to the second McLaren seat for 2005, a seat some may say is a foregone conclusion anyhow. And with the qualifying emphasis still laying on a final one lap shootout, can you see him getting his head round it?

I think he will turn in one of his better years in 2004, i really do, but I'm not sure whether that will be enough to capture a good seat for 2005.....

What will DC do in your opinion?

2001 was a make or break year for Coulthard. He's missed his chance now. I can't see him retiring as he is a good driver, but he won't win a title, and he won't be at McLaren in 05. He will remain in F1 though. He has to go soon though, he's been around in F1 10 years this may.

[pirenzo]

btw, i voted he'll get a top seat but not at McLaren, but in that i'm classifying a top seat as one of the following teams

Ferrari, Williams, Toyota, Renault or Jaguar. Most likely Toyota or Renault IMO, and i quite fancy him at Toyota. Similar to McLaren in it's operation i feel, yet a refreshing change.

[Matthopps]

I'll vote for the top option because somebody has to...

Seriously though I don't think he'll be out of F1 at all and possibly not out of Mclaren (or Williams as a top drive)
It seems that DC's head rules his driving rather any other parts of his anatomy and that if he can keep his head up and is still in the championship fight come August then he could out drive anyone - he's a great RACER after all:-races aren't won in qualifying.

It's also hard for him that sometimes it seems like he's competing against Kimi and Ron Dennis because of the 'emotional attachment' that Ron has/had with Mika Hakkinen and may now have got with Kimi, that little problem is one that could be virtually impossible to break unless he wins the Championship and is also one that can make a world of difference.

Free of such emotions and situations at other teams e could really do much better at somewhere like Toyota or Jaguar as a team leader or even at Williams as a equal number one - he did quite well at Williams the first time he was there...

[Mark Webber]

he actually race well last year just always Qualified bad . I think Mac is the hot ticket this year and DC will do well but 4th is high as he gets in the WDC then of to Toyota or Jag where he will do well

[GTRMagic]

Not enough options on the poll

Mentions nothing about a 100% DNF record

[Spudgun]

Every year seems to be his 'make or break' year and still Ron keeps extending his contract. But despite his performance this year I think he'll still be out of McLaren.

With Monty coming in 2005, I really can't see Ron dropping Kimi.

With DC's manager, Martin Brundle, publicly saying that he needs to up his game you can tell something is up.

Whether DC decides to stay in F1 after 2004 is up to him I guess. He's a good enough driver to be in F1, but it depends on whether he wants to go to a lesser team (lets face it, if he goes outside the 'big 3' it will be), or bow out gracefully.

Only time will tell.

[RWC]

He's a goner at maclaren.Don't worry about him somehow beating kimi and claiming the mac seat next to monty-that's impossible

[GTRMagic]

Where to for 2005?

Jordan, Jaguar or Minardi?

[Mattracer]

Jaguar would be his bag. Webber/DC a good combo.

[deeks6]

Originally posted by Mattracer
Jaguar would be his bag. Webber/DC a good combo.

I reckon DC will be at Jag in 05 but I doubt whether MW will (most likely Renault).

Honestly, he is the perennial underachiever is'nt he, DC?
Has never had a bad car in GP racing and still got (relatively) poor results.

As for him being a RACER, who has he ever actually passed? I can remember him following Bernoldi around Monaco for about 400 laps...how long do you think MS or JPM would have put up with that?

I'd take Fisi, Heidfeld, De la Rosa, Gene, all in front of DC...apart from all the other obvious ones (MS, JPM, KR, FA, MW, JB, JT, RS, RB)

[Teretonga]

Nah DC is a lot better than DLR, Heidfeld,Gene. Fisi I'm not sure about but I have never felt confident that F1si had what it. Dc i am sure about. He may wind up at Jag but if TGF retires at the end of 2004 I wouldn't be surprised to see Kimi at Ferrari. In which case DC may keep his seat. If Webber goes to Renault in 2005 and Frank decides not pay Ralf his outrageous salary demands DC may actually get a berth there for a year while Frank sorts his driving strength out for 2006. Williams could prefer that to paying Ralf a ridiculous sum (20 mil? Ralf is worth less than 6 mil). He's a proven race winner and DC and Gene could prove a good pairing while frank hunts for a new driver for 2006. The one that performs less well loses his seat for 2006.

[Valve Bounce]

Hey!! there is no option for DC to win the WDC this year.

[MacMan]

Originally posted by deeks6
.....As for him being a RACER, who has he ever actually passed? I can remember him following Bernoldi around Monaco for about 400 laps...how long do you think MS or JPM would have put up with that?.....

I was trying my hardest to stay away from these threads about DC but this!
He has passed on quite a few occasions IIRC Hill, M Schumacher, Mika just to name some people

[Spudgun]

Originally posted by deeks6
As for him being a RACER, who has he ever actually passed? I can remember him following Bernoldi around Monaco for about 400 laps...how long do you think MS or JPM would have put up with that?

I must admit that although I think he's not the greatest driver, I must give credit where credit is due. He does have a bit of a reputation for audacious moves around the outside and he has done a few great passes. However they have dried up a bit as of late.

[Spudgun]

Originally posted by MacMan
I was trying my hardest to stay away from these threads about DC but this!
He has passed on quite a few occasions IIRC Hill, M Schumacher, Mika just to name some people

Beat me to it.

[BootsOntheSide]

The latter races of 2003 really sugegsted that DC has got the hang of qualifying, which suggests that he can ahve a good 2004, provided the team supports him fully - at least until he's out of the title chase.

Maybe a luckier start than he had in 2003 will make all the difference in terms of confidence. Mastering qualifying will be especially crucial because the starategies become more conventional as 2003 went on, making grid position more important.

I went for the seocnd option. He'd be ideal for Toyota who could be seriously competitive by 2005, and he's an outside candidate for a Williams drive - he'd be ideal alongside a youngster if Ralf goes and they don't hire Button, Webber or Fisichella.

[Super Tourer]

Same as usual - one or two stunning drives mixed in with a load of average ones, and a couple of dire races thrown in for good measure.

It's been the same pattern year on year, so no reason to expect that 2004 will be any different, unless DC pulls a stunning, consistent year out of the bag.